We've handpicked some art exhibitions and events to check out this January. Read on to discover more.
Blue Lotus: Stefan Irvine book launch & exhibition
Photographer, Stefan Irvine, will be launching his new book 'Abandoned Villages of Hong Kong' and opening an exhibition of the same name on Friday 12th January. His book is an invitation to explore the forgotten corners of this vibrant city, and to discover the haunting beauty that lies hidden within its parks and islands.
For centuries before the colonial era, Hong Kong’s population dwelled in isolated villages, subsisting mainly on farming or fishing. When better opportunities arose during the 1960s, many villagers found work in restaurants overseas or in the urban factories of Hong Kong. Meanwhile, their countryside houses - sometimes entire villages - were simply abandoned and left to be reclaimed by nature. Stefan’s photographs breathe new life into the crumbling facades and overgrown relics, allowing readers to witness the enduring charm of these abandoned homes
With its documentary approach, this collection of photographs features many of Hong Kong’s most isolated settlements and is a testament to Stefan’s passion for capturing the essence of disappearing places. His careful research and deep appreciation for the subject shine through in every carefully composed image, unveiling the hidden narratives of structures frozen in time.
When: 12 January - 25 February, 2024
Image: courtesy Blue Lotus
G/F, 28 Pound Lane, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
HKWALLS: The Last Shadows
HKwalls is thrilled to announce the upcoming exhibition of renowned artist Richard Hambleton at Soho House, from 12 to 28 January 2024. As one of the pioneering leaders in the street art scene, Hambleton left an indelible mark on the art world with his enigmatic and captivating shadow figures. Despite his tragic death in 2017, his artistic legacy endures. “Richard Hambleton: The Last Shadows”, co-curated by Edward Straka, Alasdair Pitt and HKwalls will showcase a captivating collection of Hambleton’s artworks, inviting audiences to embark on a profound exploration of the Shadowman’s evolution and discover the depths of his true artistic self.
The exhibition will be open to public at Soho House Hong Kong (33 Des Voeux Road West, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong) from 12 to 28 January 2024, between 11am to 8pm, Tuesday to Sunday.
When: 12th January - 28th January 2024
Image: courtesy HKWALLS
33 Des Voeux Road West, Sheung Wan
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Boogie Woogie Photography: Sabine Weiss: A Tribute
t is with an immense pleasure that Boogie Woogie Photography invites you to its forthcoming exhibition – “Sabine Weiss: A Tribute (1924-2021)”. The exhibition, running from the 6th of January to the 15th of February 2024, seeks to honor the legacy of Sabine Weiss, a monumental figure in the world of photography.
This year we are commemorating the centennial of Sabine Weiss’s birth in Switzerland, dating back to 1924. Sabine Weiss spent most of her life in Paris, capturing the city and its people with a depth and intimacy that only a true artist could achieve. Her work, often classified under humanist photography, is a testament to her keen eye, her deep empathy, and her unwavering dedication to unearthing and documenting human existence.
The exhibition features a selection of twenty-three of Weiss’s iconic works, alongside some lesser-known gems, carefully curated to portray the breadth and depth of her talent. Each photograph is a heritage to Weiss’s ability to capture the poetry of everyday life, the fleeting moments of beauty, joy, and melancholy that are so quintessentially human.
We are deeply grateful to the daughter of the artist, Marion Weiss, and to Photo Elysée in Lausanne who preserves the artist archives for their endorsement of the exhibition, as well as to Laure Augustins for her continuous support over the years. The exhibition is presented together with 18th-century French museum-quality furniture and decorative art provided by the esteemed Kraemer Gallery in Paris.
Let us celebrate Sabine Weiss not just as a photographer, but as a pioneer, a storyteller, and to give praise to the power of the human spirit.
When: 6th January - 15th February 2024
Image: courtesy Boogie Woogie
The Loft, 8/F, E Wah Factory Bldg, 56-60 Wong Chuk Hang Rd
Leo Gallery: P2P, In The Name of Lights and Shadows
Leo Gallery is delighted to announce the opening of “P2P”, a subsequent exhibition of the “P to P” series, which will showcase a dazzling display of lights and shadows at our gallery space in Hong Kong in early December. The exhibition features two aspiring artists, Lei Ieng Wai from Macau and Liu Lu from Hangzhou. In modern times like these, it is inevitable for us to escape the pervasive presence of light and pixels on our screens. The artificial colour spectrum is gradually approaching the vast wonders of nature. Both young artists draw inspiration from such environment. Their works strike a harmonious balance between strength and delicacy. Lei Ieng Wai combines plain lines with gentle colours, while Liu Lu skilfully employs rich hues across multiple spatial dimensions.
When: 7th December 2023 - 15th January 2024
Image: Leo Gallery
G/F, 46 Sai Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Ora-Ora: Gabarron: The Humanist
Ora-Ora will present a major new solo show by world-famous Spanish artist Cristobal Gabarron. The multi-disciplinary artist, an international force since the 1960s, has created five brand new series of works specifically for a Hong Kong audience.
Spanning Christmas and into the New Year, this five-week event will take place in Ora-Ora’s Tai Kwun gallery in Hong Kong from December 14, 2023 to January 28, 2024. In recognition of the artist’s multi-decade commitment advocating for humanism, the exhibition is titled: “Gabarron: The Humanist.”
Gabarron has been a consistent and major artistic voice in favour of tolerance, understanding and supporting societal progress, and has worked extensively with international organizations like the UN or the EU to promote a safer, more joyous world. The timing of his exhibition in Hong Kong coincides with a period of uncertainty and suffering in Europe and the Middle East, which makes the artist’s message, and his investigation of the human spirit poignant and timely.
When: 14th December 2023 - 28th January 2024
Image: Ora-Ora
105-107, Barrack Block, Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central
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Galerie Koo: Huai (Part II)
“Huai…” gathers the paintings and sculptures of 12 ink artists. The artworks will be divided into two parts for display. The first part (Huai I) will feature works by seven artists, including Chan Sui-ying, Cheng Hoi-ching, Sam Cheng, Chu Lok-ting, Kam Shing-yan, Leung Lai-man and Tsang Po-yee. This exhibition will run from December 2 to 30, 2023. The second part (Huai II) will exhibit works by five additional artists, namely Chantal Fok, Winnie Hui, Leung Yin-nei, Katy Mak and Margaret Yeung. The second part of the exhibition will be held from January 6 to 27, 2024.
Composed of two parts, the exhibition aims to delve into how these artists embody the contemporary taste of classical Chinese culture by exploring the traditional painting concepts of incorporating Daoist principles and capturing the essence of clarity and contemplation. It also seeks to examine the diverse paths and shared inspirations that drive their artistic endeavours, showcasing both the authenticity of Chinese culture and their unique, experimental creative expressions that resonate with the contemporary era.
The exhibition intends to reveal the artistic vision and imagination of the twelve ink artists. Their works encompass a wide range of subjects, from landscapes to minute natural elements, from emotional narratives to reflections on cultural traditions. These artworks represent the artists’ unique perspectives and visual paradigms, which they have developed through their engagement with various aspects of the world. The diverse imagery presented in their works can be traced back to the artists’ aesthetic judgments and associative inspirations. Their keen observations of birds, animals, plants, and their delicate perception of emotions, ranging from anger to laughter and from joy to contemplation, inform their artistic expressions. However, the artists’ approach goes beyond mere observation; it requires a nuanced understanding of human emotions and a receptive mindset that embraces the essence of each subject.
When: 6th January 2024 - 27th January 2024
Image: Galerie Koo
7/F Vogue Building, 67 Wyndham Street, Central
Karin Weber Gallery: A Slice of Time
Karin Weber Gallery is excited to announce ‘A Slice of Time’, Hong Kong artist Carmen Ng’s second solo exhibition with our gallery.
Our sense of time is a subjective experience, entirely shaped by personal perception and the infinite unfolding of events. As many of us have experienced, our personal time was distorted during the Covid pandemic. Studies of this period have shown a clear disconnect between measurable, objective time and internally perceived, subjective time. In this show, Carmen Ng builds on her experience of these challenging years in her explorations of time as part of her every day. Say the artist, “I have broken up daily life into fragments. Some moments have become indefinitely obscured while others are bright but fleeting.”
The exhibition showcases the artist’s perception of time depicting it as standing still, everlasting, and ephemeral. Morning Path illustrates a quaint road situated near the artist’s residence. Each morning, as Ng sets out from home, she is greeted by a captivating pathway illuminated by the gentle interplay of sunlight and tree shadows. Afternoon Pattern captures her return home, where the sunlight filters through glass adorned with delicate watermarks, creating a mesmerizing display. These evocative scenes serve as symbolic markers, representing the start and conclusion of a day in the artist’s life.
Visitors who experience the exhibition will be moved by this mindful rendition of time, delivered in the soft-spoken manner that so closely reflects Carmen Ng’s own character.
When: 13th January - 17th January 2024
Image: Karin Weber Gallery
G/F, 20 Aberdeen Street, Central
